ByCompiled from wire service reports by Robert Kilborn and Kristen Broman-WorthingtonMay 8, 2003

Scandinavian countries are the best in the world in which to be a mother, while several African nations are among the worst, a study by the relief and development group Save the Children concludes. The US placed 11th. The study, timed for Mother's Day, compared health, education, and political conditions for women and children in 117 states. In the lowest-rated, for instance, only 1 woman in 4 can read. The five highest- and lowest-rated nations on Save the Children's list: